Chez

sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but still the funniest.

got to have CMs that can take the ball with back to goal and keep it for more than one touch. Obviously you need to pick and choose when you do it as getting caught in possession there kills you, but I agree, the likes of Smallbone simply do not retain the ball to draw opposing players in or indeed play on the half turn enough. Charles not playing up to standard is the issue.

to be fair Hull play the same way (passing it short out from the six yard box) and our own press in the early part of the game exposed its frailties when Smallbone won the ball and Rothwell should have scored. Sadly we couldn't seem to maintain and organised press as the game developed. One thing we didn't do last night, was switch to the thirty yard ball out to the wing from Baz to get us out of jail when they are pressing, but not be totally aimless. Maybe Hull had that ball covered too? We should be watching videos of that game all week to see where we went wrong and importantly how Hull did it far far better. We can learn a lot and if we did, it might make all the difference down the line.

We were obviously tonked by Leicester, largely because of ruthless finishing, but if other teams had the same firepower we may well have been tonked in many more games. We get cut to ribbons at times and there are so many break opportunities that teams don't take advantage of. Defensively, I don't think we are a well organised side at all. Keeping the ball all game has been a great way of hiding that.

well put. We could not get out of our own half at times. It was painful to watch. Only when Hull sat back in the last ten or fifteen minutes did we look a decent side. What I also found noticeable was the ease in which Hull could pass it out from the back. Our press (and this has been the case for a long time now) is not good at all. There were a couple of good presses early on - one where Rothwell should have scored as a result - but other than that Hull just waltzed through it with ease. Defensively, we are not great. We `get away with it' a lot IMO, relying on individuals and poor play by opponents. On another day it could easily have been 5, 6 or more last night.

prefer that we go up and have that problem than stay down and risk losing the genuine talent we have been making us look good.

For all of Ralphs faults, the one thing he did do was react quickly when we were playing poorly from the start by changing shapes. It didn't always work, but at least he wasn't passive like RM was last night. A manager can only do so much to impact results - its often forgotten that in the end it's the players out on the pitch kickin the bloody ball - but what they can do is adjust formations, shapes and make subs. If you are not prepared to do that, you may as well be sat in the stand getting a better view of patterns of play than standing in the technical area `directing traffic'.

agree. after 25 minutes he needed to change the shape or formation. But he doesn't have that in his locker it seems. Hull were excellent. Deserved to win by more.

if he had picked a different side, we may have still lost. Even with the subs we still really struggled to get out of our own half, never mind create chances. They had some of their own too. Basically, IMO our style and inability to cope with the press was the reason we lost, not the picking of Rothwell etc. Unless we adjust our game a tad against the press, we will struggle in the play offs. Russball feels like Bazball. We both love it but hate it at times.

we only looked good when Hull stopped pressing. We simply could not get past it prior to that. No idea why every team doesn't press us to fuck. We aint good enough to cope with it it seems.

Baz puts Manning under pressure. Our passing across the back four has been bad. We don't see able to cope with any sort of press/pressure at all.

so easy to get round Manning to create those chances though.

we seem to have stepped it up. Need to create something.

my fucking god is that shit baz. Lucky to get away with it.

it's like watching us last season.

another good chance for Hull. They should be three or four up

he's not giving much full stop. Amazed both sides have't got a couple of yellows. Same for both sides I guess.

great tracking back Brooks. Not somethign he has done since he got here. Good sign. Need others to follow his lead now.

High press killing us. Not too many teams have done it, strangely. Hull are and we dont have a clue how to beat it.

Hull have been a far better version of us. Play out from the back, beat the press with ease, expose huge gaps, create chances. We can get back in the game. Needs a massive improvement from everyone though.

The second was coming. We were getting murdered and he did fuck all. It was calling out for a shuffle of some sort. Maybe he doesn't have a plan b? Not really his style to make early changes to be fair. Slow and steady.

I did wonder if he might make changes after half an hour as we looked so poor.

should have been 3. If we get something from this game, that miss will be crucial.

my stream is a little behind. Wouldn't be surprised. Hull are all over us and when we don't have the ball, defensively we are not all that IMO (all season not just today)

a second for them looks the more likely at the moment.